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Cross-dressing Brings New Meaning
To Concept Of Femininity

By Eleeza V. Agopian
(UC Davis) Aggie Features Writer

Contributed by Bobbi
Freetown
October 15, 1998

Going shopping for a new dress, buying makeup and shaving your legs are part of a fairly normal routine for women, as it is for those who cross-dress. "You just have the desire to do it," said one cross-dressing UC Davis senior, who wished to be known as "Gregg."

For most cross-dressers however, their choices in attire is rarely indicative of a homosexual lifestyle.

According to Carrie Hamlin, a former UCD student who now volunteers at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center, society tends to view those who cross-dress as being homosexual. She said this is rarely the case.

"(Cross-dressing) has no bearing on (sexual) orientation," she said.

In fact, most cross-dressers are heterosexuals who describe their actions as a type of hobby.


Jade Devlin
In Her TGF Photo
"It's a hobby that you're incredibly passionate about," said John, a UCD graduate student who has been happily married for five years. (Ed. Note: We know John better as "Jade". A long time TGF reader and member.)

"I think of it a lot as an art form...I am a fanatic," he added.

Gregg compared cross-dressing to participating in an enjoyable hobby or sport.

"It's a part of your life that you enjoy so much and can't live without," he said.

John agreed, noting that he is "just drawn to it."

This is not a daily activity for the two men, however. Both noted that they only have the opportunity to cross-dress once or twice a month.

Gregg said he does not feel comfortable dressing up in Davis unless it is for a special occasion. He said he often visits gay bars because he said such environments are more accepting.

John, however, said he is perfectly comfortable walking around downtown Davis in a flowery dress and high heels. He has also gone so far as to attend a few lectures dressed in this garb.

John also agreed that the gay community is more receptive toward cross- dressers. He said heterosexual women are generally tolerant of them, as well.

Despite their current ease regarding their lifestyles, both men noted that they were not as open about their inclination to cross-dress during their formative years.

Gregg said he briefly went to a therapist, who convinced him that "coming out" to his close friends and girlfriend would help him to deal with his emotions.

Both attribute their desire to dress in women's clothes as an integral part of their personality and trace having such desires back to their childhood years.

John described how he would suppress his happiness over wearing makeup in high school plays. He said he felt he had to overemphasize his false disgust with wearing makeup to conceal his actual happiness in doing so.

"I had it suppressed so deep...I felt like I was not masculine enough for them," he said.

Gregg also said he felt similar feelings of embarrassment.

"I was so ashamed," he said.

Gregg also tried suppressing his desire by pushing away his feelings, but realized that it was impossible.

"It's not anything you can quit," he said.

At the Cowell Student Health Center, peer counselors in sexuality are trained to help those who have questions about the emotions they are feeling.

Mikael Villalobos, supervisor of the Peer Counselors in Sexuality program at Cowell, noted most cross-dressers are males. He grouped cross-dressers into three main groups: transgenders, transvestites and drag queens.

A transgender is someone who assumes the opposite gender of their sex, according to Villalobos. He explained that these individuals are biologically male, but feel uncomfortable assuming society's view of what masculinity is "supposed" to be.

"What they have a problem with is gender differentiation," Villalobos said. "They feel that their roles are more toward society's description of what feminine gender is supposed to be."

He added that the concept of transgenderism is very new and has only come to the forefront within the last few years.

"People often mix or parallel transgender with transsexualism, where that has to do with sexual reassignment," he said. "Transgender people (are those) who will cross the gender boundaries for long periods of time."

"Their gender is out of sync with their personality," he said.

Transvestites are usually identified as taking on their personas for sexual gratification, Villalobos explained.

"Transvestites feel driven to cross-dress, (a desire) driven by sexual arousal," Villalobos said. "It's a form of fetishism."

He classified drag queens as individuals who dress in female clothing in order to make a statement. He noted that while most drag queens are homosexual males, they are not confined to that of the homosexual community.

"It's a form of theatricality which borders more on the outrageous and it's more exaggerated," he said. "It's just another way of costuming and that's why it has more of a theatrical nature."

All of the cross-dressers who have contacted the program have been men who are searching for a support group of some type.

"They are (usually) seeking some sort of validation about who they are," Villalobos said.

Villalobos pointed out that it is more widely accepted for women to be cross- dressers. Women can wear power pantsuits to work and will not be viewed differently. For a man to wear a dress would be more scandalous, he said.

"There is a double standard going on," Villalobos said.

Because of this, many cross-dressers feel they have to agree in silence when hearing negative comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender community.

Gregg still tries to keep his opinions on the matter to himself, such as when people around him make derogatory comments about cross-dressers.

"I just shut my mouth," Gregg said.

Both men agreed that they have had few people react negatively to them when they are seen dressed in women's clothing, although such incidents have happened occasionally.

Gregg described one incident when he went to buy clothes at the Salvation Army. The cashier, a woman, asked him if he was going to a costume party and when he replied "no" with a straight face, she became angry and walked away, refusing to help him.

John also described incidents when adolescents would yell disparaging comments at him as he walked down the street.

Many times, however, John has been able to successfully portray himself as "Jade," his female counterpart.

"I have been hit on (by men), which was a mind-twisting experience," John said. "I've had other people talk to me for most of an hour without realizing (that I'm a man)."

The goal of the process is still to make it as realistic as possible.

"I try to do as believable a representation as possible," he added.

The transformation process from man to woman is a rather lengthy one, although John said he has been able to complete it within 15 minutes to achieve a "believable representation."

"The most crucial step is getting rid of all the facial hair," John said.

Another key to creating a realistic representation is toning down the male body structure and portraying a female, which can prove as difficult because of men's broader shoulders and larger torsos.

To tone down the male structure, hip pads can be used, John said.


For more information on cross-dressing, students can visit John's World Wide Web site at http://www.engr.ucdavis.edu/~jsdevlin/jadecath.html or email him at ucd-tg@iname.com.
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